chattering of teeth in the dark hall! No skipping three steps at a
time up the stairs pursued by imaginary hands that would grip at her
ankles! She faced the darkness with wide-open eyes, instead of feeling
her way with lids squeezed down as had been her custom; and when eyes
seemed to look back at her from the darkness, her boyhood laughed at
her girlhood, and she did not quicken her pace. But--Mollie was glad
to step into the room where the light burned. Her mother had gone to
bed early with one of her tired-out headaches, and she only half woke
to see that her little girl was safely in. Mollie kissed her softly
(for boys may kiss their mothers softly) and took the lamp into the
little room beyond, where she always slept.

The first thing that she did was to look in the glass. What a girlish
little face it was! How foolishly its dimples came and went with its
smiles! In what an effeminate manner the hair crinkled above it, and
then went rambling off into half a yard of stylish disorder! Mollie
lifted the hair in her hand and surveyed it thoughtfully. Then she
took a thoughtful survey of the scissors in her work-basket. Then
she reached them. She allowed herself a moment of conscientious
reflection; then the boy's naughty spirit crept down through her
fingers and set the scissors flying, and the deed was done.

It was not easy to satisfy her mother's amazement and vexation in the
morning; but Mollie stumbled through it and went to school. There
opportunities were few. She coaxed her teacher to let her study
book-keeping, and took one disagreeable lesson in its first
principles; but she accomplished nothing else that day except the
putting of a general check upon weak-minded inclinations to be
frolicsome.